These five fabulous harbours will have you loving all of Canada

A worker hangs flags on the schooner Bluenose II in Halifax Harbour.

Photograph by: Timothy Clary
, AFP/Getty Images

"Psst! Wanna buy a fish?" The peaceful dock at Quadra Island, B.C., was the last place I expected to be approached by a malnourished fish dealer with a nicotine habit. When he sidled up to me, the word "fish" was about the last thing I would have expected to hear. All kinds of questions sprang to mind. What kind of a fish? Was it legal? If so, why the shady inquiry? If not, did I look like I needed an illegal fish? By the time I decided to ask, he had vanished.

On a whirlwind 10-day trip to meet and reconnect with our extended families living on the Atlantic and the Pacific coasts, my partner and I felt like we were on our own version of The Amazing Race - Canada.

Here are the highlights of the five harbours we visited.

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA

We visited Halifax during the five days of music, parades, fireworks and general merrymaking at the end of July called the Natal Day Festival. The boardwalk was filled with families enjoying the free entertainment.

Halifax harbour is very much a working harbour with a military presence, a gigantic shipping container complex and a shipyard that is planning a major expansion.

But it's not all work and no play.

Halifax packs a boatload of history, art, shopping and dining into a very walkable six block area. For a calendar of events visit www.destinationhalifax.com.

VISIT: We ducked into the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, slipped into a deck chair recreated for the Titanic exhibit and were wowed by the wonderful scale models of the Age of Steam gallery. Just down the street we sampled a slice of 1863 history and raised a glass of suds in the original Alexander Keith's Brewery where tours are led by very enthusiastic young performers in period costume.

HARBOUR HIGHLIGHT: Tour the enormous expanse of Halifax harbour by schooner or take the amphibious Harbour Hopper for a narrated tour by land and sea. Kids will love the short cruise on Theodore Tugboat. For info on these three tours that run all year, visit www.mtcw. ca.

SAINT JOHN, NEW BRUNSWICK

We had sunny days and rain in Saint John, but we discovered that the weather didn't stop us from exploring the harbour thanks to the Inside Connection Pedway system. We took a stroll outdoors along the waterfront at sunset to find a beach volleyball game in progress right beside a stage where the band was drawing quite a crowd. The next morning, it was pouring rain, but we walked through the Pedway to the Saint John City Market, Canada's oldest operating farmers' market, where fresh fish, vegetables, jam and cheese vendors vie for space with pocket restaurants and handicrafts.

VISIT: You'll find lots to see and do in the New Brunswick Museum, in Market Square along the Pedway. A display of huge cutaway models gave us a new appreciation of the craft of shipbuilding and in the Hall of Great Whales, a full-sized right whale floated overhead.

MUNCH: For a taste of European fine dining within walking distance of the Saint John harbour we recommend Décimal 81. The ambience is superb, especially at sunset when the simple and elegant decor glows with warmth from the large streetside windows and then settles into an intimate candlelight setting. www.decimal81.ca

STAY: The Hilton Saint John, a 4.5 star hotel, sits directly on the boardwalk and is a starting point for the Inside Connection. You might see humpback whales from your window and you can't miss the cruise ships when they dock right next to the hotel. www.hiltonsaintjohn.com

HARBOUR HIGHLIGHT: For heart-stopping true blue Canadian thrills, the Reversing Falls Jet Boat rides can't be beat. If you'd rather stay on dry land, head to Fallsview Park. Visit www.discoversaintjohn.com for more information, including tide tables.

VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

A lacy collar of sailboats fills Victoria's harbour, which is only fitting given the white glove history of this most English of Canadian cities. Historic stone buildings encircle the inner harbour that was one of the prettiest and busiest harbours we saw, with ferries, water taxis and float planes in constant motion.

VISIT: Even if you don't think you're a fan of wildlife art, The Robert Bateman Centre, which just opened this spring in the Steamship building, might convince you otherwise. The galleries feature advanced interactive screens, where you can create your own virtual collection and a QR code searchable database of information interacts with your cellphone. It sounded like we were in a forest when we triggered birdsongs by waving at sensors near the paintings. http://batemancentre.org

STAY: The Inn at Laurel Point was a great place to watch all the goings-on in the harbour from our balcony, especially since the hotel is surrounded on three sides by water. The Asian-inspired decor makes each suite seem more like a spa than a hotel room. The minute I walked into the huge, marble bathroom I was dreaming of a soak in that tub. Add its waterfront restaurant, AURA, a Japanese garden that stays green all year round and friendly, helpful staffto the mix and it's easy to see why they earned a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. http://laurelpoint.com

the dock. The jewel box of a harbour is studded with vessels from dinghies to elegant sailboats with float planes taking offevery 30 seconds. Just a block inland is Commercial Street, the heart of the Old City Quarter.

MUNCH: The Danforth Deli & Grill lives up to its mission statement of preparing local and organic food "by hand without the use of microwave ovens or deep fryers" but they still turn out a mean Reuben and great gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches ("Promote cheese" is anther motto). The proprietor's wife makes the homemade strawberry jam and the organic Nanaimo bars were very good, but tiny. www.danforthdeli.ca

QUADRA ISLAND, B.C. The tiniest harbour that we visited has a charm all its own. Quathiaski Cove on Quadra Island is everything you imagine an island harbour in B.C. should be: misty, fringed with trees, with steep cliffs sweeping down to a shoreline where logs bump gently in the waves. The 10-minute ferry ride across from Campbell River takes visitors to the pristine lakes and hiking trails around Quadra.

VISIT: For a chance to rub shoulders with the locals, visit the Heriot Bay Inn on a Saturday night when host Mo Davenport and a talented roster of local musicians get everyone up on the tiny dance floor. On Thursday nights, the U of Q features guest speakers on topics ranging from pyrotechnics to cranial sacral therapy. www.heriotbayinn.com

FISH: If salmon fishing is on your to-do list, there are chartered fishing boat operators near the cove ready to take you out into the spectacular scenery that surrounds Quadra Island. Orcas, seabirds and wildlife abound in Discovery Passage and if you don't catch anything, there's still that guy on the dock. http://www.quadraisland.ca/adventure-recreation-tours/fishing.html

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.